Write a response to some of the questions below:
Why do we learn science? Is there a value in learning science? If you are not going into a scientific field, is there still a value in taking science classes?
or
Is all science relevant to everyday life? If it is not, does it matter? Do we still need to learn it?
Remember: you are expected to write one response and reply to 2 responses of your classmates.
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128 comments:
For me, learning science is extremely important. Perhaps not Physics in particular, but science in general. I want to go into science in college (mainly biology and chemistry) so taking these science classes are extremely important for my future goals.
The other valuable thing about science is that it explains certain phenomenon to us that we would not understand without science. It applies directly to everyday life in that we can now explain why certain things happen to humans and our planet.
Understanding and learning science is very important in our world today. We learn science to understand how many things work in the world, or in space. All fields of science deal with understanding and interpreting the language of reason.
The value of science is that it mainly deals with reason. While literature deals with either reason or imagination. But reasoning in literature and reasoning in science are two different things. Science deals with experiments, formulas, and equations. On the other hand, non-fiction deals with interpreting 'stuff'.
I am planning on going to college for science, so any science class is relevant, and each one appeals to me.
We need to learn science because it is around us in everyday life. Although there are many different types of sciences, all of them are still pertinent in our surroundings. Whether it has to do with the way gravity effects our surroundings (Physics) or the natural make up of different objects (Chemistry) all science is important, and thus, should be learned.
I am not going into a scientific field when i go to college, but i still believe there is value in learning it because it is still important to realize how and why the earth and its contents go round'.
And no, not all science is relevant in everyday life, but it doesnt really matter because school requires us to learn about it anyway. Which, in turn, makes it necessary to learn because if the school tell us it is important.....then obviously it has some kind of value....
We learn science so we can understand how things around us work. The more we know about things, the more we can work with them. The value in learning science is that we can form a better concept of what is going on around us and learn how our world works and what it is made up of.
I am not planning on going to college for science but I still think it's important to know about. Science explains the makeup of the world and how things around you work, and thats a crucial concept to know in your life.
I may not get the best grades in science classes, or even understand whats being said, but I still think basic general information learned in science classes is important. With global warming happening, it is good to know what exactly is happening so we can help in our own way to stop it. I may not like physics, but I have enjoyed learning other things in other classes that have been crazy to me.
I think science is relevant in everyday life, because everything around you has to do with science in some way. You may not care, but it could still be potentially important.
In response to 'miley':
I agree on the fact that science is a tool to help us understand what is going on. Science is a language to help us express and interpret how things work. Once there is an understanding, it is possible to work on what is known. Such as curing diseases and developing methods of safer travel and all the good stuff.
I believe that learning science is very important and extremely valuable for everyday life. It is important for everyone to be knowledgeable of the basic functions of our planet, the objects on our planet, and why things work in the way that they do.
Not all of the topics covered in science class are relevant to everyday life, such as how many valence electrons an element has or which rock smells bad, but we also learn about factors that contribute a large amount to each and everyone of our lives.
I plan on going to college for health sciences, which isnt the physcial science that we learn, but learning science fascinates me in how it explains everyday activities that foresee until we learn about them.
The importance of science, for me, is not in the the class or even in learning the specific. There is no value in learning information that you will forget immediately after taking the class. Proof of this is that the average high school student probably knows far more science than an average adult. This is partially due to the fact that a good portion of science taught in high school is never encountered in "real life".
This is not to say that there is no value at all in learning science. However, once someone's interest in the subject is clearly not there and he/she has no intention of pursuing a scientific career, science looses value. Essentially, it is individual preference. There is value if you are interested, or if you intend to pursue a scientific career. However, if it holds no interest to you and you intend to pursue other things, science may very well not be valuable to you.
I believe that it is important to learn the basics of science. A sound base in the sciences, such as taking a regents class in earth sciences, chemistry, physics, and biology, truly makes a difference in someone's life because they are able to understand more about the world around them. The sciences really do surround us, and having a base in them can only be beneficial.
Now, as for continuing science in the future, if you're going to be a science major in college, then there is reason behind taking science classes. If you are not a science major but have an interest in science, then by all means take a science class in college. But if science is your worst subject and you're an english major, the basic science you got in high school is really all you need. For a social scientist or english major, nothing past the basic science classes is really needed
I believe that one could not possibly argue that learning science is not important. Being that sciences such as Chemistry, Physics and Biology affect our lives every single day, understanding things about these sciences is something that will benefit humans for the rest of time. Important discoveries that change the human race are discovered every day by kids who once went through primary, secondary and high schools, and studied these sciences. Of course, some can argue that Physics is more important than Earth Science, or Biology isn't neccesary to know about, though I personaly believe that all sciences are parrallel and equally valuable to learn.
Being that sciences are so crucial in a person's everyday life, there is a massive amount of topics and information available to intake, all of which is of interest to anyone who would major in sciences (such as me). To be able to learn and truely understand the "processes" in which our Earth and our human race survives is a gift that should be appreciated to its full extent.
I think that science is one of the most relevant of all topics we learn in school. Math, English, History, even Gym can all be applied in someway to science (although certainly Math more so than the others). It is very important that we study science in school as, while not EVERYONE will want to become a scientist (I am not sure myself), it is important to "spark" young minds with fresh ideas of the world.
Science is, when you get down to it, responsible for virtually every technological advancement from the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel, to the splitting of the atom and the microchips that make the computer I am typing on possible. Science has prolonged life, and enriched it as well... while one can certainly argue it has had its negative side effects (Weapons of War or being exploited for Violence and Greed), I feel that the Pro's outweigh the Con's as long as we are careful of what we create and how we manage it.
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In response to lalalaa, i agree that not everything we have learned in science class is critical information, certainly no one but someone deeply involved with chemistry needs to know the Atomic Wieght of Magnesium (24.305)... or as you said the number of electrons in some given element.
But while i don't feel we will ever need to know such stuff after our final exam, i feel it is important to take the class, so you learn the basic concepts that will never go away, and that all people should understand. additionally, it gives you a chance to see what science, if any, truly captures your interest, which is an important thing to know as you go off into college if you plan on doing something with science
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And as for AaronBurr, The infamous murder of the late great Alexander Hamilton, i like what you have to say... but i disagree with your last statement that if you DON'T want to pursue science as a career, it is not valuable. I pretty much stated this all in the first 2 paragraphs, but i really feel it is important we all have basic understandings of the nature of the universe. Ex: If you want to become a writer or painter, a understanding of how our world works, if not only preliminary, would be of great help to your art.
Sorry for the Loooooooong post.
As for Science? Meh. The things we learn in classes such as regents physics arent actually applicable in realistic situations. I don't see much functional use to teaching kids pseudo-science that doesn't fully take into account any factors that would be prevalent outside of the classroom.
I enjoy learning the stuff, and it's important to mentally stimulate the populace. Science teaches people extremely important lessons that could potentially be learned elsewhere, but fit very nicely into the curriculum. The most important example being skepticism towards the world in which you live, and learning to reason properly using observeable evidence.
Assessing science is like assessing an Isaac Asimov novel. The fundementals are based in factors prevalent in society or in the natural world, but take into account human ingenuity and natural phenomena. Overall, it makes you think.
In a society overwhelmed with religious fanaticism and blind acceptance as a key element of the status quo, we need skeptics. People are generally weak and insecure. Humanity has always needed something to explain the basics and explore the unknowns involved in the lives we live every day. Without god or science we would all be walking around in an existentialist haze. It would be like the skidmore college campus spread worldwide (we would be smoking dope and just asking "why man?", and generally getting nothing done). So we need science, meaning, and the ability to discribe and organize the world in which we live. Whatever gets you out of bed in the morning.
In response to 'balzac the jaws of death':
Sure, science makes you think, but to say that what we learn is 'pseudo-science' is wrong, at least for some classes. To say that science has no relation to every day life is a complete and utter mistake. We use science every day in our life, just not in ways that you can realize.
Perfect example of chemistry being used in every day life: Hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding is what holds water molecules together, but with just the right electron pull. Any more pull on the electrons and all of our water becomes ionic compounds and impossible to break. Any less and all of our water is gas and we can not access it. This is a fundamental aspect to life and it is a simple idea that we learned in regents chemistry.
Now, I do agree that some of our basic science classes are "pseudo-sciences," the best example being regents physics. BUT, physics itself is not a pseudoscience. For example, AP Physics takes into account air resistance and friction, not to mention the all the physics classes you might take in college. Physics is real, we just don not have the basics to learn it yet.
We learn science not necessarily to allow us to prosper in a scientific field, but just to allow us to understand what's going on around us on a level that is not purely simplistic. Everyone loves to ask "why," but many people don't like going to science classes, and finding out the answer. It's hard to accurately understand the world without some science knowledge.
That being said, there's definitely a benefit to taking science classes, although probably not quite as much benefit as there would be if you planned to become a scientist. Knowledge of interesting ideas and theories isn't limited to just scientists. There just the ones who discover new things, while we use our scientific minds to interpret them. Even if you're not a math/science driven person, science can always come in handy.
In response to max power, I've got to say that taking science classes not only to understand, but at this early stage in people's lives, they don't necessarily know what they want to be in the future. By taking preliminary science classes such as Regents classes or even AP classes, which, let's face it, are not as truly hard as a college level course, students who have yet to make up their minds about majors or intended majors can make a careful and considered decision based on what they've learned and how they've done in prelim science classes. These courses don't just afford us a basic knowledge in the field; they also let us experience the basics of the subject so we can make decisions regarding our future in either the aforementioned science or some other field that your dislike of the science led you to.
You definately will not use every science in everyday life. I will not need to know fact about mitosis to get by, and I will not need to know that hydrogen has one valence electron while waking up and getting dressed.
Why is it still important though? Because it is good to know the way the world works because of the power humans have to alter it. Educated people is always a good thing. Being educated about ecosisms helps us to learn how to not cause extinctions, knowing about gases led to the global warming theory. Basically, if people don't know why something is what it is they will make geusses becaus ehumans are always curious, and here we are with another religion being created.
Also, even if today you are not interested in science, someday you may be and you never know when it might come in handy.
While I agree with Max Power that science can always come in handy. I actually disagree that high school science classes are more important for people who want to have a science career though. I think it may be the opposite because many of the things you learn in regents science are actually not terribly useful to actual scientists who will take classes in college and learn what they need to. I think its more important for people who aren't going to continue in science to learn the basics of how the Earth works because it helps spread important knowledge and makes non scientific minds question things that might be incorrect.
I disagree with your example the3rdkid because when do you actively use that knowledge in everyday life. Do you sit down to drink water and say to yourself I better not drink it too quickly or the bonds will weaken? Although that is a very good example of how science explains things that are part of everyday life there really arent many examples of how you use this science knowledge on a day-to-day basis.
Even if a person is not interested in learning about science, taking a science class can be very valuable. Science focuses on problem-solving and logic, which are two very important skills that everyone needs in their daily lives.
I think that learning science is important, but certain classes have more value depending on the persons interests. For example, an artist might need to know more about chemistry so they know how materials will react together. And a doctor needs to know a lot about biology so they can cure people.
I think having an understanding science is a basic part of being educated. We learn science to understand how the world and universe work. Learning science helps people to understand how and why the universe, Earth, and life exist. If we did not learn science, we would be very confused in our everyday lives.
I do not plan to study science in college by any means. However, I am obviously taking physics, and I find it very important to be educated in science. Science is relevant to everyday life, and we need to learn it. It explains why the sky is blue, why we have night and day,how it rains, seasons, ect. Without having a basic knowlege of science, we would be very ignorant.
However, I do not think we need to know the all fields of science in great detail enless we are going to pursue the science as a career. For expample, people who are not going to have a career in chemistry do not need to know the exact number of protons in a certain atom, or the value of a mole.
I agree with xyz, without learning science, we would not understand global warming, which like xyz said, is a pressing issue that concerns all life on Earth. In order to be a contributing member of society, it is important to have knowlege of these important matters.
I agree with the3rdkind in their second paragraph. The universe in itself is a phenomenon, and learning science helps us to get some sort of grasp on how we are here. We would not understand so many phenomenons, small or large, in our everyday lives without science.
in responce to geppetto:
Its true that with science, we could solve certain problems. But if you think about it, science is what created most of those problems. With out science, there would have been no industry. With no industry, there would have been no use of greenhouse gases. And no greenhouse gases means no global warming. But science is different because everything that has been discovered, was bound to happen. And anything that hasnt been discovered, is bound to be discovered (for the most part).
in response to 'roger'
I was not saying that I think about bonds breaking every day when something breaks, I was saying that we should take science classes because they help explain things that are in our every day life. For me, this is extremely interesting and i think that everyone should understand why every day things happen the way they do.
While I agree on many of the reasons for which others say it is important for us to learn science there is one in particular that I believe is important: science teaches us analysis.
Now one could respond to that by saying that other subjects teach us analysis as well, and I am certainly not disputing that nor demeaning these subjects, but I think that sciences teach us a different type of analysis than subjects like history or english. I view sciences as teaching us a more observational method of analysis whereas other subjects may teach us to analyze thoughts and themes. The reason that this makes sciences so important is that the type of analysis they teach is needed in everyday life for such simple tasks as observing and considering our surroundings and reacting to what we see or learn(for example observing or learning that throwing a rock at a beehive can get you stung and thus reasoning that throwing a rock at a beehive is a bad idea.)
It is learning this sort of analysis and being able to apply it to our world that I think makes science important.
QUOTE - geppetto
"However, I do not think we need to know the all fields of science in great detail unless we are going to pursue the science as a career. For example, people who are not going to have a career in chemistry do not need to know the exact number of protons in a certain atom, or the value of a mole."
I agree that we only need to know the basic in life unless your going to make a career out of it, however your comment reminds me of an interesting point that Stephen Hawking once brought up - That 200 years ago... less... a signal person could (if they wanted to) be an expert in all the sciences. One individual could master virtually all there was to know from Chemistry to Physics to Biology, because there was really not that much.
But today, there is so much that one person can't even know all of one subject, rather one specific division of that study.
It's just impressive to see how much we have learned in such a short period of time. With such rapid progress... i think it's clear that Science is among the most important fields of study.
I agree with aaron burr, true story.
Even though I support learning basic science to better understand pressing issues in the world, most kids who don't care/aren't good at retaining the infomation, foget it quickly and move on.
In response to reva-t:
I find myself disagreeing with your statement that science is responsible for problems such as global warming. I cannot help but feel that it is not the fault of science in a case like this so much as it is the fault of people as a whole, for example it may be the engineer who designs the SUV but it is the people who drive them and pollute without knowledge or thought for the harmful effects they will have(another reason to learn something about science).
While I can see how science could in this case be regarded as the head of the serpent I think that looking at things that way is folly. Looking at things like that is simply a way of creating a scapegoat and allowing people to continue to act for the good of themselves as opposed to the good of the Earth without accepting responsibility for our mistakes as a species and realizing that we need the Earth but the Earth does not need us.
Hey yo,
Science is pretty cool, its good to know and stuff too. If someone is not going into a certain field of science, its still useful to know and have educated opinions on. Like environmental science is important in times like these to judge for yourself whether or not the icecaps are melting, and if its something that is important to you when you vote.
And then theres the common sensical part of physics that just helps to know in general. Like how to brake your car when its snowy and icy out. That could save your life. I dunno about anyone else, but my life is important, like dang.
Although i may not be the very best at science, I still think that it's very important to learn. It will come up all the time and help us make choices in everyday life. Science helps us understand things that seem unexplainable.
I am probably not going to major in science when i go to college but some jobs require minimum knowledge of a science so its important to learn about it before college or in college.
In response to geppetto, I completely agree that science classes gives us all a necessary basic understanding of the world we live in.. because honestly take a second and think about how much you wouldn't know about the world you live in if you hadn't taken any science classes from 8th-to present grade. It is where you learn about evolution, the dominant and recessive genes that your kids will get,global warming, and radioactive decay at indian point.. which is all important in all of our lives. I also agree that if you don't plan on majoring in chemistry a person would not need to know the value of a mole, but the basics are valuable to everyone.
I just made a really long winded response to miss glazenburg. I'm not quite sure what happened to it. But for the sake of participation, I will note that all of these arguments are really circular, and i like jack's the best. Science is big, science is good, science aint everything. My other responce was moch more intellectual. if I cant find it, i'll repost it.
Wow. blog owner approval. completely forgot about that. I'll take that idiot cap now.
balzac, what do you mean by circular? A lot of people are saying the same type of things, like originaly I wrote about global warming, and other people say how its just something good to know, your basically repeating everything over again, even if its from jack, so yeah, and I am curious to know what you wrote to glaz. So yea, you should chill a bit.
I think that having a basic knowledge of science is extreemly important. Science is used in everyday life. for example a knowlege of earth science can come in handy with everyday things such as the weather. Chemistry helps us with understanding the different chemicals that are in our food and beverages. Physics helps us to show how things work. Biology helps us understand life and our bodys.
Basically, being generaly educated in the sciences is very important however, a very specific knowlege is not neccesary unless you want to go into a profession that involves science.
i agree with aaronburr because if you arent going into a proffesion that involves science, learning the specifics isnt that important as long as you know the general idea. And it is completly true that the average high school student forgets what they learn right after they learn it for example i dont know anything about biology or earthscience of chem.
i agree with jack.
basically its good to know how everyday things work, and science is everywhere. Science in general is probably the most important thing since it involves our environment and if people dont have a basic knowlege of science then the earth will be in a lot of trouble.:(
im writing a new comment cuz my first one was bad.
im not a fan of science, mostly because im not good at understanding it, but i admit that science is the most important thing. Everything is about science. when you compare other classes to science, they seem extreemly insignificant. For example in history class we learn about the behavior of humans over a period of time. that only aplies to human beings on earth over an insignificant period of time. (history is still really important) Science on the other hand applies to every aspect of life in the universe. (not just humans)
so yeah its really important.
idk if that made any sense at all
wow i just realized that i contradicted myself a lot.
BK, the earth is already in a lot of trouble, people need to act fast in order to save it, so basic understanding of environments around us is important.
Science is without a doubt a study that is valuable to the average high school student. It's human nature to wonder how things work and I think it's important that the elementary science courses taken in high school offer a rudimentary knowledge of life's little intricacies.
I don't plan to go into science in the future but (as lame as this may sound) science to me has been about finding significance in the most insubstantial things. For example, the amount of factors that come into play when merely taking a step or speak a word, let alone utter a syllable, are mind boggling. I'm getting off on a tangent, but for me that's the value of science, to add fuel to the fire of the inherently human questions of why and how?
Most sciences in general are definitely relevant to everyday life. Biology shows how plants, humans, and all living organisms work (for lack of a better term). Physics, well maybe not regents physics, explains ordinary day to day activity that anyone wouldn't think twice about. Chemistry is purely magic and really has no relevance to everyday life. I mean really, who is going to be walking down the street and shout out "OH MY GOD! That puddle has a pH of 8.36 and if I add 2mg of NaCl to it there will be a precipitant." Although on the other hand, baking could be considered a type of chemistry but who does?
Sciences that don't really apply to everyday life aren't really that important for a student to be learning. Rocket science doesn't apply to a high school environment so no one really cares about learning it or not. But physics, and chemistry, and even earth science, they can be applied to the world around us and are completely relevant. Learning about different sciences allows us to glimpse different areas of science. It gives us an idea of what field we may or may not want to go into when we go to college.
Without science we wouldn't be able to explain fairly simple things such as why an apple falls from a tree. (Obviously because of gravity.) Also without medical science we wouldn't have the amazing procedures and medicines today that prevent people from dying from a cold.
xyz-
i know thats wat i was trying to say... but it didnt come out right
Learning sciences is very important for me, I have always had a scientific way of thinking and I have always had a desire to know why things are the way they are. I want to go to college for an environmental major, and Practice environmental sciences in to future. It seems to me that and environmental sciences include a sort of gumbo of all the sciences. Whether it is using chemistry to find out the acid content of a stream or biology to look at the developements of a certain speicies in an ever chainging environment, or physics to calculate the amount of force it would take to cause and avalance on a certain mountain. So it is important to me that i learn all the main sciences before i go to college
I also think it is important for everyone to learn sciences in school so that the population can be better educated on the environmental issues going on in the world (global warming, extinction,over population) and make better descision about a how they contribute to the earth in everyday life.
Even though i do not plan on going into a feild of science for my future career i still think learning about science is extremely important. I think the most valuable to me would be biology because i like to know what is going on in my body and things like DNA. Chem i don't really think i will personally use ever again even though it's nice to know what the symbols on the periodic table mean and it was exciting to watch the experiments in class. As for physics it really makes you think about everyday things such as driving in a car or throwing a ball in the air. Everything can relate to some type of science one way or another and its nice to be able to explain how things happen by knowledge of sciences.
hello children. science is important in everyday live. Science is needed to do everyday acvitivites. I agree with the3rdkind as well as BK. I think they are both intelligent young children. I dissagree with ROGER. Although some forms of scicne isnt needed in everyday life it is importat to know as one grows older.
Science is probably the most important academic subject in school at this point (besides maybe history). As long as you know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, you're good with math. If you can read and write you're good for English. Foreign language is wack. Science and history are the two subjects that if taught well will actually teach you how to think. Math, English, and foreign language (and history if you have a bad teacher) Simply tell you exactly how things should be done and how things happened. Science and usually history give students the opportunity to be creative and think for themselves. You can solve or prevent real world problems with the stuff you learn in both science and history. I think most would agree that the majority of the politicians who "represent" us in dc didn't put enough effort into learning about science and history.
Fergeson said "Learning sciences is very important for me, I have always had a scientific way of thinking and I have always had a desire to know why things are the way they are."
I completely agree with this. I've always had a technical way of thinking, methodically thinking problems out. When I was little I always asked why something worked or how it worked. I've always found it fun to take something apart just to see how it works.
Having a desire to want to know how things work definitely makes science very relevant to everyday life. From things like batteries to airplanes to guns.
I think physics tells us a lot more about how objects behave in relation to each other than say chemistry (well logically since chem is magic) but when your dealing with the molecular level of things, the thinking involved gets very abstract. Physics is more involved with what we can actually see and feel. Sure we can't feel somethings, like gravity, but you know its there and its easy to wrap your mind around.
I think science is very important to learn. There is a value to learning science because science is in the world every day. Science is what makes up the world and knowing science is knowing how the world works and why it works that way which I think is pretty important to know.
Although I am not going into a scientific field, I still think there is a value to learning science because it makes up the world. And I personally enjoy taking science so it is important for me to learn it.
Samuel L Wackson said, "Science is probably the most important academic subject in school at this point (besides maybe history). As long as you know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, you're good with math. If you can read and write you're good for English. Foreign language is wack. Science and history are the two subjects that if taught well will actually teach you how to think. Math, English, and foreign language (and history if you have a bad teacher) Simply tell you exactly how things should be done and how things happened."
I agree with this on certain points. Yes science is one of the most important subjects that you learn in high school. It teaches you to think methodically and strategically to creatively solve everyday problems. But math is more important that you think. Most sciences have a huge amount of math involved. Physics for example is almost pure math (sure theres some art skill in there to draw vectors and diagrams for those not artistically challenged). Chem has math involved with it as well.
History, sure its important, we don't want to repeat problems we've had in the past right? That whole learn from your mistakes thing thats been drilled into our heads since I don't know, maybe second grade? On the point that math, english, and foreign languages tell you how things should be done and how they happened, isn't that what history is? It tells you how an event happened. Sure you can agrue all you want that it happened another way but what does that prove?
I partially agree on the point of how important foreign language is. For those who thrive on language, studying a foreign language is very important and at a high school level it penetrates farther in your memory than it would if you decided to study when you around 30 or 40. Now what about those who don't thrive on language? Well yeah I guess it wouldn't be that important but it expands your thinking and your ability to comprehend language.
Taking English for native English speakers in my mind I completely agree. It really isn't useful. Learning how to write well is nice and for me I would like to learn how to write short stories better and such. But learning how to read down to the depth were a certain blade of grass symbolizes eternal gratitude, is just ridiculous. When you're reading that closely, you lose meaning of the book altogether. And yes english tells you how things should be done but it also allows a huge amount of freedom. You can write about whatever you want, unless its a school assignment.
Why is science important?
i am a pessimist, so i can argue that it is unimportant just as easily as i can argue that it is important.
science is unimportant- our planet has no hope, regardless of how much we are able to discover in the next couple years. while i dont actually believe science is unimportant, i do believe that there is very little hope for the human race to undo the damage we've already done on our envirment. learning how solve our problems (global warming seems to be a popular topic, so i'll roll with it.) is just part of the solution. Lets say, thanks to science, we find away to harness carbon emmissions to create clean energy or something (completly hypothetical). now we have found ways to prevent A) global warming, B)running out of energy (ie oil and the likes.)
ok! great! we have solutions. now how do we put them in action?
for the US's regime, they dont want infinite energy source. a law was recenetly drafted for the new american inspired iraqi gov't that says that i think 17 of the 80 exsisting oil refineries in the region will belong to iraq, while the rest, as well as any currently undiscovered oil fields will find themselves in the hand of western corporations, with no obligation to invest in the iraqi economy.
what does this mean?
this means that corporations will own all of the world's energy, control the worlds economy, and essentially be the greatest power in the world. these corporations are the people who have the money "throw at" global warming and finding renewable energy, but why should they do that while they have become rich doing the opposite?
aint no money in saving the world.
get used to it.
even if science pulls through, and finds a right for all of its many wrongs, its not as simple as that.
getting the power figures to try to help the world instead of themselves will be way harder.
so is science important?
is it relevent?
personally, i dont see our world changing for the better.
I disagree with chuck norris's comment. One can certainly argue that science is not important in everyday life. Many people go through life everyday, without needing the knowledge of chemistry and physics. People drive everyday and all they need to know is that when they hit the break, the car slows. They don't think "what force does do I need to exert on the break to stop in 8 seconds?"
People can easily go through life with common sense and hardly any knowledge of science. Knowledge of science can make life easier/better, but it is not necessary.
in response to reva-t
I completely agree. Our world is based on reason and comprehension of that reasoning. The reasoning of science is completely different then the reasoning of other subjects like global. Science deals with many different aspects that include other subjects; history and math. But the language of science is composed of formulas and experiments.
in response to xyz
I agree with you. Science teaches us about our world and without the knowledge of science we wouldn't be able to stop some of the harmful things that are happening in it, for example, global warming. The more we know about something the more we can either stop it or change it. Science is relevant in everyday life because everything that happens around us someone how relates to science, whether its photosynthesis or forces, science is everywher.
Yes, I believe that learning science is a very valuable aspect of life. The Subject of Science covers many topics not only in reference to school related subjects but also in things relating to everday life. For example just knowing the basic principles of how the world around works is important for existence.
However i do not plan on pursuing science as a career it is still important to know for furture obstacles i might face in everyday life.
I think that any kind of learning is important, not only to know the information and the facts, but to excercise your mind. Science is a very important subject because it relates to the world that we live in. Knowing the basics of any science (and, in my opinion, especially physics) is an important background knowledge that will help you understand how things work, and why they work that way. Science is different than history or other subjects because it's not all about facts, facts, facts. It's about concepts and ideas. It is definitely valuable.
I think that any kind of learning is important, not only to know the information and the facts, but to excercise your mind. Science is a very important subject because it relates to the world that we live in. Knowing the basics of any science (and, in my opinion, especially physics) is an important background knowledge that will help you understand how things work, and why they work that way. Science is different than history or other subjects because it's not all about facts, facts, facts. It's about concepts and ideas. It is definitely valuable.
re: 1234567891011
i'm also not sure whether i'm be a physicist or a science major, but it's always nice to not be ignorant and/or know what's going on. Like, if there's a whole binch of people talking about even basic science or whatever, it would be nice to be able to contribute. High school classes give you that basic knowledge that can keep you out of these awkward situations.
i guess.
re: reva-t
i agree that science has a more of a basis of which you have actual facts (even thought it's not all about facts) while literature and writing is based solely on individual preferences and interpretations.
This is why science is an especially valuable topic to know. It is the same everywhere, to everyone - it doesn't change from person to person, or from place to place.
In reply to chellllllo’s Comment on October 31: I was referring to subconscious things such as cell reproduction, chemical bonding, or other miniscule but ultra-important things. Of course, many, many people don’t know or even want to know about such things, and knowing these things won’t matter. While you are definitely right in that it’s not necessary to know the force needed to hit the break, knowing about things such as whether salt is flammable or at what degree water boils at (both chemistry) is useful. Though you don’t need to know these things, as you were saying, it does make life a lot simpler.
in response to rupert murdoch on October 30: Very well said. I think what you are trying to say is that even if we could save the world with science (making science "valuable") wouldn't happen anyways. While this is possibly true, maybe even probably true, science could theoretically save the world as we know it. Even if no one wanted to do it, the whole world population shouldn't just "give up all science" because the world's going to eventually explode or something.
original thinking is a plus too..
In response to chucknorris:
I also agree that learning science is definitly an important skill to have..whether it is necessary or not.
Not many people in the world would ask themselves how long it would take their car going from 60 mph to 0mph and know exactly how to do it....but i agree in the fact that it is useful to know some knowledge even if it isnt for useful purposes but for just fun facts.
in response to xyz on october 29th
Yes, the earth is in a lot of trouble
but will people who have a basic understanding of the environment and science be able or willing to help in any way? no
Just cause someone has a "basic" understanding of what is going on or with what the problem is, no one with a "basic" understanding is going to be able to do anything.
Unless you are referring to things such as recycling..which isnt going to help the world in the crap hole that we've dug it into
In response to "some," I would definitely agree that an understanding of the way things work is very important in everyday life. However, I can't see that it wouldn't be even more important to somebody planning on majoring in a scientific field. Obviously, in order to comprehend the world around us, we need to have some type of knowledge regarding science, as I said in my first post. However, I definitely think this knowledge comes into more use as a cursory building block for a science-related college education.
I feel that learning science is very important in society today. This is true because of the status of our world today. With global warming, nuclear weapons, modern medicine and numerous of other things, having a basic knowledge of science is extremely necessary. I think that it is crucial to understand the basics of Biology, Earth Sciences, and some Physics, just because it informs us of how our world works and functions. But, I do feel that not all sciences are necessarily vital to understand. For example, I think that Chemistry is a total waste of time; I do not need to know that everything is made up of miniscule molecules in order to live a successful life. Learning some sciences are also important because they teach one to problem solve and think critically. I think having a basic knowledge of atleast some of the science is esential to being able to live in todays society.
b-rad g
what are you talking about?
if people understand basically what is going into the atmosphere, and or what people themselves are consuming, then a lot more people will be concerned and do things to try to stop this. The world isn't completly dead, it can still be saved, so if people know whats good in the world then they'll no how to fix it.
Recycling does help, people just don't do it as much as they should, and things like hybrid cars, and now BMW put out car that produces hydrogen, so yeah, the earth can be saved.
You might wana go check yo facts.
Also, in response to B-rad G's last comment, I actually find myself in agreement. I'll definitely argue for learning science any day- I feel it's definitely important. However, leave the actual scientific ideas and theories to the actual scientists. Your average everyday person needs to know science to help them understand the world, but not to help them solve the world's problems. As the post I'm responding to said, nobody with a basic scientific education alone is going to be held responsible for something that important. To restate, learning science is essential, but this proves once again that it is even more important for those who will try in the future to help get the world into better shape. If you want to be one of those people, more power to you- science is essentially your life. If not, though, don't let science become more important to you than it should be.
Learning about science is incredibly important because it explains everyday phenomenons and in general helps to enrich and broaden one's perspective and outlook on the world in general. I also think that it isn't necessarily the actual facts or concepts we learn in science that end up being the most valuable but rather a different way of thinking that science cultivates. Even if the nitty-gritty facts that we cram into our heads in physics or a class like earth science may be completely forgotten in a few years, the analysis and observational skills required to excel in these sciences will be retained.
Science is especially important in this day and age where ignorance about the environment is prevalent. Knowledge about issues like this help to combat this all-too common disregard for these pressing matters that exist in the world today. Science is one of the few subjects, in my opinion, that fosters this type of knowledge and rationalization that can be readily applied outside of the classroom and be used to create a better world.
I agree with max power in that I don't believe that the little facts and nitty-gritty details are necessarily completely relevant to our lives, especially if one does not plan on pursuing higher levels of science. However, one cannot dispute the fact that at least a basic understanding of science, how the world works, and how it's applicable to our lives and the environment we live in is crucial. To be a responsible citizen in today's world it is necessary to at least have an elementary understanding and rationale behind the environmental issues and other science-related issues affecting our daily lives.
Learning science is important for many reasons, first of all physics helped to send men to the moon and helped with the Lunar Space Program. Second biology helps us to find cures and ways to protect ourselves from Learning science is important for many reasons, first of all physics helped to send men to the moon and helped with the Lunar Space Program. Second biology helps us to find cures and ways to protect ourselves from many diseases such as the super strain bacteria (staph infection) that could be deadly to humans. Science can help us to find a cure or medication to help prevent many other deadly infections. Science may also help to find a cure for cancer someday.
Learning science is valuable because it gives people a greater understanding of the world around them. Science makes people understand the importance of not killing off a certain species, which would disrupt the eco-system. I think science with a purpose toward the greater good of the earth, is more important thaen science that does no good for the living kind. Knowing the acceleration of an object is not extremely important for the earth. But, knowing what chemicals are good and bad for the earth and animals, is important. I personally don't really like science but I still think different parts are matter.
I'm with xyz. The Earth is our home and it's an un-renewable object. We can't just go to Home Depot and buy a new one, or get some nails and put it back together. We have to stop doing all this crap to it or else there won't be any Earth left...and then what? If people don't try and change their destructive ways, fast, then the problems are just going to escalate and be even more difficult later on. People should save gas and walk everywhere, or save energy and turn off the lights when they're not in a room, or save recycle and reuse, or pick up litter. There is so much that people can do in this world, so anyone who says that they can't do anything has been misled. Everyone can do something. If all the people on Earth stand there and say "there's nothing I can do" then nothing will get done. But, if everyone does one little thing, that only takes an extra 5 minutes from their day, then a lot will get done. So act now, and save our home.
I'm going to comment on everyone's comments at once.
It seems, for the most part, everyone thinks science is important. We are all on the same page that it can only benefit us to know what's going on all around. Weather or not people think it's important to them, everyone has said that it's still important for the purpose of understanding. Human nature is to want to understand. We always want to know what is going on...science or gossip. People learning science in high-school might not be saying "I'm just dying to find out what's up with those hydrogen and oxygen molecules," but someone wanted to know in the beginning, and that's why we know these facts today. Someone wanted to know something other then gossip. They wanted to understand the world around them. So it's important for someone to want to know in the first place, or else we might not know half of what we know today.
Science is very important in our world today and learning science in schools is essential. Even though a lot of people will never use the formulas and scenarios we learn in physics, chemistry, and other high school sciences, it is still important to learn the basic ideas.
Just because you’re not going to become some sort of scientist in the future doesn’t mean that you can’t use the logic you learn in physics to incorporate into your daily life. I personally, am not planning on becoming a chemist or a physicist, so science in general is not extremely important for my future goals.
HEY GUYS!
this is a repost from a while ago! like last year! because i posted it but ms g-bergz didnt like my username and didnt let it go through.
HERE WE GO:
in response to reva-t's response to geppeto:
if you say that "everything that has been discovered, was bound to happen. And anything that hasnt been discovered, is bound to be discovered," then by your definition, learning science, or learning anything whatsoever is irrelevent. If you knew you were going to get a 100 on a test, would you study for it? there really can be no compromise between pre-destiny and science. If everything that hasnt been discovered is bound to be discovered, then we may as well not attent school at all, if our lives have already been laid out for us.
i would agree that with science one could solve many problems, and that science is what created those problems. but since those problems have already been created by science used irresponsibly, it is the responsibility of science and this generation to try and figure out a way to fix them. if we continue along the path of "everything that has been discovered, was bound to happen nd anything that hasnt been discovered, is bound to be discovered," than rather than being pro-active about finding away to save our planet we are simply sitting back and letting our world be killed.
MORE IMPORTANTLY:
http://www.qwantz.com/archive/000635.html
Dear Everyone:
all this string of comments has said is that "Yes, Science is important, sure we probably wont ever use most of what we learn, but its good to know the basics."
In response to everyone: I AGREE.
but why? i don't know why i think it is important to learn science. my best guess as to my thoughts is that i think it is important simply because it is what has happened in schools for a while, and because i seem to naturally shy away from the thought of changing the high school curriculem. i guess i have assumed that because it is the way things have been done for so long, it must be the right way, and i never really gave it a 2nd thought. now that i am thinking about it, i agree less. is it that important for us to know science? what if schools became specialized at an earlier age. say through middle school you would learn basics, you would learn common sense and you would become litterate, so you could interact like an intellegent being. and then when high school starts you can choose to learn whatever you want to learn. it would give all the kids who dont do anything in a highschool a good oppurtunity to cut out earlier, and it would give everyone else a great chance to get ahead. those of us who saw ourselves going into science could take all science classes, if they choose. someone undecided could take exactly the classes they take now, a little of everything. and art student could take only art, if they wanted. would that be so bad? if not everyone got a basis in science? i dont think it would be.
in conclusion:
DEAR EVERYONE:
i disagree.
I think that learning science is very important, because it explains why things happen around us. Sports are a big part of my life, whether it be that I am playing them, or wathcing them. During these sporting events, the ball, the field, and the palyers all do very odd things, however, these things can be explained through science. In baseball, for example, a Major League pitcher can throw a curve ball and have the ball drop from the batters head down to his ankles within a time of less than 2 seconds. That is a fenominal accomplishment, however, through the learning of physics in school, one can explain why it happens. In football, the quarterback can drop back into the pocket and hurl the ball into the air down field to his teammate, and the motion of the ball is directly intertwined with science and how gravity pulls on objects. Finally, in hockey, the fact that the ice is solid and how the player is able to move on top of it, has to do with the chemical makeup of the ice, and this is explained through chemistry. So therefore, if one did not learn science, he would not be able to understand why the 150 pound wide reciever was able to take down the massive full back, or why a soccer player can "Bend it like Beckham."
I must begin by instead of talking about science, talking about science's most valuable scripture that is the scientific method. The very idea that with a certain set of tools and instructions, anyone can carry out an experiment and find the same result is incredibly powerful. This method is more valuable to all of us than any one piece of semi-meaningless scientific fact. The scientific method is an approach to life as well as to any one problem. It is the skeptics' approach. The value of independent thought would be lost over generations if people were not naturally imbued with the outlook of a skeptic. Therefore, teaching the scientific method is vital.
That said, we must not all learn science. After all, nothing can be proven, and to the best of our knowledge, the universe cannot be studied as it actually exists- but rather as it exists in our minds' best interpretation of the world around us. Basically- science is all made up anyway.
In response to b-rad g,
First, it is of paramount importance that you don't do anything simply for the reason that school said it was important. That goes back to my belief in the value of skepticism.
In terms of nature, we need to learn only enough about our environment so that we can fit into our niche. If we could do that, ecosystems could go on without unhealthy change.
In responce to chelllllo?,
I agree with this statement because science does focus on problem-solving and logic. These skills are very important because they are used in everyday life. I also agree that depending on your job you neeed one of the different sciences. So one scince might be more helpful to one person than another person depending on their job. Science can help many people in different ways but everyone uses science in everyday life.
We learn science because we cannot live on this earth without a deep understanding of how it works. Especially with the problem we face with our earth's environment, it is crucial for everyone to take science classes because everyone takes part in making the earth how it is now. I understand why some people feel that delving deep into science is not always necesary, and if you have no interest or skill, fine, find something else to do with your time. But basic sciences should be learned for the sake of the health of our people and our earth.
I suppose not all science is relevant to everday life, especially from the view of a high school student. However, science can somehow connect with everday life, so most of it does matter. And it still needs to be learned and studied because you never know what discoveries might be found.
Learning science is extremely important. Science is the framework of our reality, the tent poles holding the floppy covering of our experiences upright and in a logical and coherent way. Without science we are only left with, as Stephen Colbert would say, “truthiness,” feelings of what is right or wrong, instead of rational thoughts supported through logic and deduction. This framework of science is what allows us to understand our world, and though this may not always be necessary (you don’t need to be a mechanic to own a car), it allows for a greater enjoyment and perception of our everyday lives. If I look at the moon, and know why and how it’s there, I get something out of that. If I look at a tree losing its leaves, and I know the biological processes behind it, it is fulfilling. Though knowledge may not be fundamentally necessary, it is often useful and enjoyable.
This foundation also serves in a different way; learning science allows for constant examples of the scientific method and its applications. Going to an example you gave against science, not needing to be a mechanic to own/use a car, the problem solving techniques you learned to become a mechanic can help you in other parts of your life. Going through the problems a car could have is maybe a narrow task, but it could set a method for fixing future issues, like why your furnace has suddenly stopped working.
Another interesting perspective on the necessity of science is a fact mentioned by many philosophers. This is that in perceiving, there is always a certain fallacy, a bias built in by the fact that our perceptions are only interpretations of reality. Color, sound, taste, these things are just representations of the real phenomena. Science gives us the numbers, compositions of atoms, distance between sound waves, the realities behind our perceptions. This is not as clearly useful as the other examples, but supports part of the reason for acquisition of such technical knowledge.
Along the same lines, science separates religion from reality as it does perception from reality. Without science, it is hard to realize how the world truly functions, and easier to fall into the comfortably warm and squishy escape that religion offers from reality. Under the control of religion, or other forms of blind faith, humans do things logic would forbid. The crusades, the 9/11 attacks, the war in Iraq are all conflicts fueled by religion into larger blazes of destruction than would have occurred otherwise.
Finally, science is a big part of what makes us what we consider human. A dolphin may be smart enough to realize a reflection of itself for what it is, but can it settle down and make a measurement of the amount of plankton in the water with the abstract goal of figuring it might someday benefit from it? It is science that gives us what we believe in as our superiority, science that gives us the world we live in today and even primitive science that gave us the first tools, the beginning of our rise to being the most accomplished and intelligent beings to inhabit this planet, and it is science, that one day may lead us to find our compatriots on some distant rocky orb. Even then, maybe it will be science, that could let us communicate, and let us get their view on what should be valued.
I think that learning and knowing science is very important. Science is the world around us and people should understand what and why we (humans) are here, why things happen, and what things are made of or why they act the way they do in certain situations, or why they react with eachother. It'll explain and help answer questions that people would ask if they didnt learn it, such as the time-old question "Why is the sky blue?" or "Why doesnt the moon fall to earth?" these simple questions would be unknown if science classes hadnt been taken by the people who answered them.
I think there's an extent to which certain need to know sciences, and seeing as i'm not planning on going into science in my future, I dont feel the need of a detailed knowledge of various sciences, but they are good to know for general knowledge and in case I do change what I want to be, it'll be good to have these classes and this knowledge under my belt.
I'd have to agree with basically everything Sandy Koufax said in his original post. The scientific method is really exciting, in that it allows anyone and everyone to perform the same experiments, whether they be scientists or just students. However, I'd have to disagree with the last line about science being "made up." Science is what we use to explain the world around us, and if it's "made up," then so are words and numbers. Those things didn't originally exist in nature- we created them to help explain what was going on around us. In the sense that science is naturally present in our world, it is almost more real than anything.
In response to cheesehead,
I would just like to say that does explaining sports phenomena make science important? I might even argue that an understanding of science can dimish enjoyment of a sport; suddenly that magical slider that Joba Chamberlain can throw becomes an explainable action and the wonder of it all falls as quickly as the pitch does.
In response to b-rad g...
I agree that we need to learn science because it is around us in everyday life. I also agree that sometimes science is not relevant to some people you still need to learn it to help figure things out about our surroundings and our planet. Also differnt scinces are important for different reasons. This makes learning science different for some people because people who are going to go into the scientific field find science very helpful and important. So science is important to people for differnt reasons.
in responce to Sandy Koufax, i aggree with you're statment about the scientific method being one of the most important aspects of science. But there are many other important concepts of science that i wouldnt call, "meaningless" or "made up" like you said in your post.
In response to rupert murdoch's response to everyone, i must dissagree. Did you really knwo what you wanted to do wiht your life when you were a 5th or 8th grader? ill admit i didnt, heck, im a junior and i still dont. What if u made the wrong choice, i think doing a few classes that arent to your fancy is a lot better than being stuck in a career track that isnt what you want. Also, making a choice that important when you are that young would be really just giving the parents the choice. I think that having a fairly general education throughout high school really is the best choice.
in responce to spoon68,
i aggree with with you in that it is not necessarily the actual facts or concepts we learn in science that are most important and valuable, but a different way of thinking. Most kids who take physics will not grow up and remember all the formulas and little details, but they will be able to look at the world in a different way because of the basic ideas learned in physics.
Weeeee learn science to become more articulate people. Science can tie into almost every profession. There are all different fields of science. You could start off as a phyisicist and wind up a marine bioligist. But even if you are not planing on taking on a scientific job, science can help you out. For example there are times in a lawyer's career where he/she has to examine evidence. With a background in science, this would be much easier.
Is learning science important/valuable? Of course it is. If we did not learn science then how would we blow up Iraq and Afganistan. We wouldn't have known how to blow up Japan with the A-Bomb. If didn't study science we wouldn't know about the whole in the o-zone or global warming.
Science also proves things that were long held to be acts of god. It proved that Earth isn't the center of the universe and that not everything we can't explain is an act of god.
Science may seem unimportant and such sciences, like chemistry (in my opinion) do not help the ordinary person in everyday life. However, i feel physics is very important and can make a big difference in the decisions someone makes during the course of their day if they have proper knowledge of physics. As a new driver i have had to drive realatively unexperienced. My mom is a fairly neurotic person and freaks out every time someone stops in front of our car because shes scared i will hit them. However, from learning theories from physics, my new common knowledge allows me to understand when i must hit the brake if i am going 30 miles per hour and the car in front of me stops about 10 meters in front of me to allow me to come to a complete stop without hitting the stopped car. In this way and many others, physics has become extrememly helpfull in my day to day life.
We learn science to understand how the world works. If you would like to be an educated influential person in this world it is a good idea to at least have a background in some of the sciences.
Even if you're not going into a scientific field I think it is a good idea to take science classes because it's good to have a little bit of knowledge over a wide variety of subjects, making you overall a well educated person. It's great to have some knowledge on the way some things work in everyday life and taking physics in high school definitely will help you out. Although you may forget many things as you get older, you will still have that basic knowledge and will be able to build from it, if you wish, or just be able to say some fun facts sometimes.
I think that studying science is important. Even though I do not particularly like science, I feel it is important to know some of the basic things. I think its good to understand what is going on around you, how things work and how things are made up. For me, chemistry was not as interesting because I didn't feel it was stuff I would need to know in everyday life. I feel physics, biology and earth science were more useful because it delt with things that happen on a daily basis, as for learning what makes up a certain atom. Even though going in deep details in science can bore me, i still feel it is important to know.
Science is very important. We learn science to help us understand the world better. Different sciences teach us different things about life and the world. For example, biology teaches us about life and how species come into existence. Earth Science teaches us about the Earth and how it is the only planet with life on it (that we know of). Chemistry teaches us about properties of matter and the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions. Physics teaches us about properties of matter and the motion of matter. It also deals with space and time.
I plan on going into health sciences so I would have to take science classes in college. If someone is not planning on going into the scientific field, I highly recommend that they take at least one science class in college. They should take a science course in college because we are surrounded by science. We don't realize it, but everything we do from breathing to hitting a baseball all have to do with some sort of science.
Science in general is SO imperative. First off, let me say that to me, the term science refers to both natural sciences, the study of the natural world, and social sciences, the systematic study of human behavior and society- basically everything. According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, science is defined as "knowledge attained through study or practice." There is great debate on the purpose of life itself and the meaning of a high-quality life, but most of us agree that it has something to do with attaining gratification- satisfying basic needs to complex desires. To satisfy these, it is indisputable that we need to LEARN about the complexities of our minds, bodies and surroundings. (i.e. learning biology helps us cure diseases so we are not in situations of discomfort; learning environmental sciences allow us to find ways to protect our atmosphere so as to also prevent discomfort; learning social sciences such as psychology allow us to tend to our more complex humanistic personal needs).
The importance of science is also obvious when one looks at the many subjects that serve to facilitate its understanding (i.e. math and statistics, history- the recording of the science of human behavior and society, English- to aide the communication of science aka what we learn through study or practice...).
Further, it is important for every individual to learn a reasonable amount of every branch of science because without this basic scientific knowledge one could easily be taken advantage of- without this knowledge one is a weak link in the society. In conclusion, the phrase "knowledge (a.k.a. science) is power" holds true once again and is essential to fully appreciate and savor life. As a species, it is not necessarily that we are innately curious, but that we need to satisfy basic necessities and this need compels us to learn about our surroundings and how things work in hope that understanding them will allow us to improve upon them, thus facilitating and enhancing our lives.
In responce to Ms. Speights
Everyone who takes science is not going to know how to bulid a bomb or blow up things. I think that type of science is important for the people in that feild, but maybe not people who aren't interested. What i'm trying to say is that only a very miniscule amount of people who continue on with science will learn/put to use things like bomb making.
In responce to Geppetto
I agree completely with everything they said. Having a basic understanding is important in life and can get you through day by day. It also answers everyday questions about the world such as ,the example that geppetto used, why the sky is blue or why the statue of liberty turned green. It's interesting to be able to answer these questions that many of us have wondered for a while. Geppetto also stated that its not as important to know how many protons are in an atom unless you are going into that type of science for your career. I agree with this also because there is no need for us to know it because there is nothing we can do about it if we arent going into that field of work.
Learning science is definitely an important thing to do. Almost everything you do involves some sort of science. There is no need to go out and learn everything about science that you can, unless you want to pursue it as a career. A basic understanding of science will help you get around and understand everyday life.
Having a general understanding of science is important in everyday life. The skills involved in science such as logic, quick thinking, and reasoning are important in everyday decision making. You need to be able to weigh the pros and cons of a decision and think ahead as to what the outcome will be.
Different types of sciences are important in different careers. Even if you do not plan to be a scientist or specialize in the subject, Science is very useful and practical in all sorts of different things. You may not need to know all the details, but a general understanding of how things work and affect you is important for everyday life.
We learn science to get a primitive understanding of how the world works and the way it is structured. There is more then just information handed on a silver platter, but relating the things that we know and putting it together to make the big picture. Science allows us to think critically and skeptically, to make better decisions for ourselves. The great thing is that there aren’t just facts, but there are experiments, observations, and hypothesizes. Science also offers so many fields starting from Astronomy leading to Zoology, that there are endless opportunities to learn some aspect of it. Even though there are many experts in the fields, we have so many methods and tools that we can reason our own conclusions. I still do not know if I will go into the scientific field, but I will defiantly take some classes to further my knowledge. I feel that the future will be in desperate needs of scientists to betterment our world.
I agree with OWPM in that it is good for students to take regents classes in all the sciences to get a basic background. But I disagree that if their major has nothing to do with science they should not take a class in college. Science is all around us and even if it is not directly involved in your major after high school, it is still something that you should keep learning about since science applies to everyday life and it explains how the world works.
I agree with nutella
The skills we use in learning science are very important. The skills we use to learn in science will be basic skills we will need to use for the rest of our lives. Science is practical and its useful to know the basic gist of things even if you don't get all the details. It feels great to understand the basic concepts of why somethings behave the way they do and the reasoning for some actions in our everyday life. For example the concept of gravity. How weird would it be to not know why things fall down instead of up? As we continue to ask questions, we continue to answer them using new scientific theories we learn and such.
in response to abcd1234
I agree with how you said learning science is important to everyday life, especially now that the world has all these problems, but the world has always had problems and the more science we've learned and used, the bigger our problems seem to be getting. What we need to do is to use science for the betterment of our world, to stop using it for things like making weapons and continue using it by thinking of even better ideas. Growing off of ideas like hybrids and recycling, ways to help our environment out would be a good area to focus our scientific ideals on.
Learning science is a very important part of our lives. Science can help prove and solve many problems that we face day to day, and can help with problems we may face in the future. Science is a very broad subject that con cover everything we do, and makes it very helpfull. Science ma prove to be difficult to learn or discover, but science has helped us get this far, and it will keep helping us far into the future.
I completely Agree with BK. Everybody should have a basic knowledge in at least one field of science. Science helps us in every part of our lives and it helps us wrok more efficiantly. IF somebody where to have little to no science knowledge, it would be hard for them to explain how something could occour. They could see it happening, but they wouldn't know why it would happen. It is the "why" that teaches us almost everything we know, without it life would be much harder.
I also COmpletely Agree with Cheesehead (except that he spelled Phenominal wrong.) Physics is in every action we do in life, anything that has any mass will interact with something else, and we can calculate many of these actions and movements to predict or change the path of these actions. Physics is in our lives and even though we may not think about it, it is always happening. From every step we take to everything else we do, physics is evident and creates reactions all around us.
Science is important because it provides a basis on which we can understand our lives and our interaction with the physical world. Science allows us to establish a perticular frame of reference, so to speak, from which we can examine and understand our enviornment, regardless of our profession.
It allows us to understand and embellsih on our functions and apply our knowledge to something tangible and substantial. Without even a basic knowledge of science we would have no foundation on which to form opinions about the world, nor would we have the ability to acuratly analyze our enviornment.
In response to dogman:
I agree that science is very important to learn. It is true that people who are not going into the scientific field will not use or need to remember the specifics that we learned in the science classes we took in high school for their everyday life. I also agree that it is essential for everyone to learn the basics of science because science is found everywhere.
In response to Sandy K-
You bring up a very good point when you suggest that science's most valuable scripture is the scientific method. It is this very method, this thought process, that basically aids us in comprehending and improving upon our lives. To live a rewarding life on Earth, most individuals need to solve the problems they come across. As the scientific method states, one first needs to identify the problem. Then one has to attempt to explain it without study or practice (hypothesis). The scrutiny and analysis that follows= observation. The satisfaction one obtains in theorizing, answering one’s question and employing it to better one’s life= conclusion.
In response to spoon68-
I agree that it isn't necessarily the actual facts or concepts we learn in science that end up being the most valuable but rather a different way of thinking that science cultivates-the very valuable analysis and observational skills it fosters. Though I do believe that the actual facts and concepts are extremely important because they enrich our existences by allowing us to find ways to satisfy basic necessities and complex desires, the ability to process and analyze information that learning these sciences promotes also serves to enhance our subsistence. The complex thought that is triggered by learning intangible sciences expands our minds and allows us to express ourselves with more ease and depth, in turn enriching our lives.
Peacelove&music makes a good point. Learning science in order to make a better and cleaner world is more valuable than knowing how to calculate how far a ball will be from the cliff you threw it off of. If a person's career requires them to know how to do this, then of course, to them, this may not be true. If a person's career does not require this knowledge, then they should at least learn enough science to know what would improve our world.
Science is important for us to learn. It is an explanation of how our world works. A basic knowledge of science helps us understand most things in our lives. Science is everywhere even if we do not notice it, and we encounter it everyday. We would have none of the technological advances that we do today without an understanding of science.
I believe that even if you are not planning to study science in college taking and understanding science now is still important. Without basic knowledge of science you would be clueless in many normal, everyday activities.
I disagree with curlygirly in that we cant live on this earth without science. Early people were able to survive and develope their own cultures without a deep undertstanding of it. I do think that a basic understanding of science is needed to keep our earth safe, but the knowledge of science has also helped us to destroy it. There needs to be a balance so that science can be used for our betterment and not for destruction.
Learning science in school is very important because it helps us understand things that happens in our everyday lives that would be a mystery without having learned science. I am interested in taking science courses in college so taking classes in school are important to me.
Science is relevant in everyday life because some science like physics deals with the simple movement of a car. I think if it is relevent in everyday life we should need to learn it.
I agree with miley about how the more we learn about science the better we can work with our surroundings and understand them.
I agree with Roger that some science knowledge will not be usefull during your life but I also think it is important to learn because who knows if you will ever need that knowledge later in life.
Though learning science may not be everyone's top priority, having a grasp of the concepts, if nothing more, is very important. Having a basic understanding of science not only allows for greater depth of thought and forward thinking; it is also why people(for the most part) dont try to cure colds with leeches or sacrifice animals to ensure a good harvest anymore. By Understanding the science of the things around us, we are able to realize that such actions are silly and illogical; understanding this is what makes us truly modern people.
I am going to state my honest opinion which is that learning science is unneccessary in ours lives due to technology. If you think about about it, when do you ever actually need to know science? We watch the forcast, we live indoors, we drive cars, we never need to suffer the weather because we can go inside and find shelter when we know what the weather is going to be. People worked honest livings before science was studied by most people.
However without the people that do study science, we would not have gotten to the point that we are today.
Science is important for us to learn. It is an explanation of how our world works. A basic knowledge of science helps us understand most things in our lives. Science is everywhere even if we do not notice it, and we encounter it everyday. We would have none of the technological advances that we do today without an understanding of science.
I believe that even if you are not planning to study science in college taking and understanding science now is still important. Without basic knowledge of science you would be clueless in many normal, everyday activities.
in response to chellllllo? i agree that science deals with problem solving and common logic, and that these are important skills that we use daily. Also how in different fields of work science is involved a lot of the time. Even if you arent taking science classes in college you will still encounter science after highschool and it is neccesary to learn it.
in response to arkansas,
Learning science has become less and less neccessary as time goes on, but without the people in the scientific fields studying, this would not be so. You stated how science is neccessary in everyday life but you didnt state any examples like she said to do. I just dont see how any activities we do need our knowledge of science. If you can enlighten me than please do so, but as of now, i dont usually pull out my reference tables out everyday unless i am studying science, which seems to be a useless skill unless a student plans on having a career in the sciences.
in response to reva-t
You stated how "We learn science to understand how many things work in the world, or in space." But ask yourself if anything we have learned actually helps the average highschool student not planning on being a scientist. I respect your future goals but i think that sciences in high school are too brief and vague to really teach a student much of anything. Ask people that have graduated and science is the most unremembered subjects that they had, so my point is that unless you want to grow up to be a scientist, science is pointless with our comfortable lifestyles where other people do the science we need done for us.
I believe that learning science is very valuable. Science has to do with everything in life. While things like history observes the past, science goes onto a new level of observing, by interpreting, theorizing, and making connections by noticing constants or patterns that help us determine possible future events. The word "science" is dervived from the latin root "scientia" which means knowledge. In my opinion (judging by the broader meaning) if learning knowledge is not important, what is? Of course today's definintion involves more study and calculation but the princple is the same.
Now obviously, the average Joe does not have to calculate how many moles of H2O molecules are in a liter of water at any given time, or know the acceleration a car must be going at to get over a bridge however, it is important that SOMEONE knows it. If no one knew chemistry (which is involved in making medication and other useful things) Our good friend Joe may as well not exist. And same with any other science, if physics was not taken into account when designing an airplane... Joe's in trouble again. Science helps us expand and improve our knowledge of the world around us and put our observations to use.
I disagree with naggerdaddy's statement about learning science being unimportant. Not only would we not be where we are today, but there are still plenty of things left to be explored in the fields of science and as the world develops we may realize that there is crucial information we have yet to gather. It is important to learn what is already known because that just helps make a more likely hypothesis. Depending solely on what people have already discovered will not help us expand from how we are now.
I agree with lalalaa.
Although not all topics covered in sciences are important to any one person in everyday life, there are important pieces from each kind of Science about the world today that help people as a whole. (Often times not only is it valuble to know but cool to know also :]) But even if it doesn't majorly affect you by knowing it individually, you do know something that can now be applied and used at your will.
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